Chapter 70: Marcus Gets Set UpSet sail!As soon as they rushed out of the Calm Belt, without a single command, the Marines took the initiative to act. Those setting sails set sails, those at the helm took the helm, and those retracting oars retracted oars.The entire warship was a flurry of activity, while Marcus, Garp, and Fandi stood there with bewildered expressions, watching everything unfold before them.*Crunch.* Garp pulled out a cookie, took a bite, and said in confusion,"What's wrong with these young lads today? They're actually being so proactive. Something's not right, definitely not right."Andre nodded blankly in response, "Yeah! This is just too strange."Under Garp's influence, this was a peculiar marine warship where the hierarchy wasn't so strict. No matter how high your Rank, you were the same here—everyone was a companion.It was precisely this unique atmosphere that made Captain Andre willing to stay here.Every time Commodore Andre gave an order, he usually had to nag for ages before most of the Marines would move. Thus, giving orders was a form of torture for Commodore Andre.However, when facing important matters, none of these Marines would dally. But right now wasn't an important moment at all, yet these people were being so proactive.Beside them, Marcus just smiled slightly as he watched. He knew that the scenes they had just experienced in the Calm Belt—those moments between life and death—had been too much for everyone's hearts to handle.Even though those Sea Kings had left for some unknown reason, everyone was still worried. They feared the Sea Kings might suddenly turn back to hunt them; after all, no one ever said Sea Kingscouldn't leave the Calm Belt.That was why everyone was so coordinated, quickly tidying everything up to leave this place immediately—the further, the better.Before Garp and the others could even react, the Marines had already finished organizing everything."Report, Vice Admiral Garp! Everything is organized. May we set sail?"Garp ordered, "You may. We're heading toward the military base in the Goa Kingdom."Yes, sir!Hearing Garp's command, the crew, who were already prepared, immediately returned to their posts and got moving.Don't be fooled by the fact that marine warships are wind-powered; to truly start this ship quickly requires many people acting in unison.Looking back at the receding Calm Belt, the Marines couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. That Calm Belt was truly terrifying. If it weren't for Vice Admiral Garp and Brigadier General Lin Tian being on this ship, they might not have escaped.In fact, many Marines didn't know that being chased by those Sea Kings today was just a stroke of bad luck.Normally, Sea Kings don't come to the surface. They just happened to run into bad luck this time; otherwise, using Vegapunk's method, they could have crossed the Calm Belt completely safely.Subsequently, a hint of a proud smile appeared on everyone's faces. They had actually crossed the Calm Belt today.Sailing a marine warship through the Calm Belt was a feat no one in the Marines had accomplished, yet they had done it today. How could that not be exciting?"Hey! Stinky Old Man, did you give the wrong order? Weren't we going to Loguetown? Why are we going straight to the Goa Kingdom?" Marcus asked, puzzled."Is that so? How come I didn't know? I don't recall saying that," Garp said with a deliberate look of contemplation, then stated firmly.Seeing Garp's expression, how could Marcus not know that Garp was intentionally feigning ignorance?Marcus was instantly furious. After thinking it over, he decided to let it go. He couldn't beat the Stinky Old Man anyway, so he had to honestly accept the loss."My poor cookies! Those were..."Before entering the Calm Belt, Marcus had nagged Garp for a long time just to visit Loguetown, the place where Roger was executed. In the end, he had relied on a million Berries' worth of cookies to bribe Garp.Marcus couldn't help but lament,"No matter where you are, money is the greatest."But Marcus had forgotten one thing: a transaction requires both parties to have similar strength to be equal. Without equal strength, the other party can break the contract at any time.By the time Marcus realized this, it was already too late.Seeing Marcus's frustration, Garp showed a triumphant smile. "With that little attitude of yours, you actually dared to threaten me?"At the time, Garp was naturally very displeased by Marcus's temptation. When had he ever been tempted by someone? And that person was his own student.But the temptation was simply too great; Garpcouldn't resist it at all. Later, Garp realized he could just break the agreement, which was why he had agreed so readily.In truth, this was a pit Garp had dug long ago, and Marcus had foolishly jumped right in.Watching Garp walk toward the deck with a smug look, Marcus was full of rage. If he weren't lacking in strength, he would have gone up to start a fight long ago."Sigh!"Just then, Andre walked over and gently patted Marcus's shoulder. He hesitated to speak, looked at Garp, then at Marcus, and finally shook his head with a deep sigh before walking away.From Andre's gaze, Marcus read this sentence:"Young man, you're too naive. You didn't even notice such an obvious pit. Sigh..."Andre knew all about the deal between Marcus and Garp because Andre was the witness. From the start, Andre had sensed this was a pit dug by Vice Admiral Garp, waiting for Marcus to jump in.But considering the strength of Vice Admiral Garpand Marcus, Andre decisively sided with Garp.Marcus could only smile bitterly at this. Although he had been in this world for over three years, in some aspects, he still thought according to his previous life's logic.This was a world where strength ruled supreme. If your strength wasn't enough, there was nothing you could do even if you were set up.Marcus wasn't the type to not strike back after being set up. Watching Garp walk down the stairs smugly, a gloating smile appeared on Marcus's face.Marcus secretly controlled a Space Blade to cut two-thirds of the way through the stairs in front of Garp, just waiting for Garp to step on them.Thinking of the scene where Garp would suddenly step into empty air and fall, Marcus covered his mouth and started snickering.As he watched Garp slowly approach those stairs, the joy in Marcus's heart grew by the second.Hurry up! Hurry up!...Seeing one of Garp's feet about to step on it, Marcus's heart suddenly grew tense.*Step!*Garp's first foot landed. Just as Garp was about to step down with the other foot, a smile appeared on his face.*Whoosh!*At the final moment, Garp's figure flashed and he disappeared from the stairs, moving toward Marcusbehind him.Seeing that Garp hadn't fallen through but had instead disappeared, Marcus immediately thought 'not good.' The Stinky Old Man had seen through his plan and definitely wouldn't let him off easy.Iron Body! Space Shield!Marcus knew that with Garp's speed, he couldn't dodge at all; he could only focus entirely on defense.Just as he finished his defensive preparations, Garp's fist arrived. The extremely strong Space Shieldshattered instantly under Garp's fist.Garp's fist didn't lose momentum, striking directly against Marcus's chest with the sound of flesh colliding with steel.*Bang!*But even steel couldn't block Garp's bare fist, and Marcus was sent flying.Forcing down the churning blood in his chest, he kicked out three times in the air. Three light-blue, almost solid light waves flew toward Garp.Tempest Kick!In his three years on the Grand Line, Marcus had already mastered 'Tempest Kick' and 'Finger Pistol' from the Marine Six Powers; only 'Paper Arts' remained unlearned.As for 'Moonwalk' among the Six Powers, there was no need to learn it now. With his fruit ability, Marcuscould fly at will and didn't need Moonwalk at all.These three powerful 'Tempest Kicks' were shattered by a single punch from Garp.Taking advantage of that moment, Marcus turned himself invisible and used'Shave' to rapidly approach Garp.By the time Marcus neared Garp, the space swordhe had been preparing in his right hand had formed, and he slashed at Garp with all his might."Observation Haki," "Armament Haki."As soon as both types of Haki were activated, Garpimmediately detected him and threw a punch at Marcus.He clenched his fist, covering it with Armament Haki. Marcus's space sword was extremely sharp, and Garp didn't dare to block it with just his bare fist.The difference in strength between Marcus and Garp was too great. Although the space sword was sharp, it was still shattered by Garp's punch.Just as Garp's fist was about to hit, Marcus's body suddenly shot upward, flying into mid-air.Looking at Marcus in the air, Garp thought about it and decided not to pursue. Anyway, he had already vented his anger.Garp shouted to Marcus in the air, "Stinky Kid, you think you can ambush me? Practice for another few hundred years!"Meanwhile, Marcus, who had flown into the air, was about to retort when he caught sight of something. He saw a cruise ship sailing this way, being chased by a pirate ship.East Blue pirates!PS: Here is the first update. Thank you for your support, readers!UU Reading. Welcome to read, the latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works are all at UU Reading! Mobile users, please go to read.
Chapter 71: East Blue Pirates"Captain, what...should we do? These pirates are getting closer and closer."A crew member looked back at the pursuing pirate ship, his face filled with terror, and stammered as he asked the Captain in front of him.Although the Captain was also terrified, as the leader of the ship, he had better composure. He calmly said"Don't panic. These pirate ships are still some distance away from us. After traveling a bit further, we'll be in the Marine's jurisdiction. Then we'll encounter the Marine."After speaking to the crew member, the Captainaddressed the panicked passengers below."Everyone, do not panic. Ahead is the Marine's jurisdiction. These pirates will retreat once they encounter the Marine."Hearing the Captain's words, the passengers and crew immediately calmed down. With the Marine's presence, they would not fear these pirates.Noticing that the passengers and crew had calmed down, the Captain let out a slight sigh of relief. Looking at the pursuing pirate ship behind them, his face showed deep concern, but it quickly vanished.The previous remarks were intended to prevent panic from spreading. The Captain deliberately said them because, as a Captain who had been at sea for so long, he knew.Given the current situation, escaping the pirates' pursuit would be extremely difficult. The cruise ship was very slow, while the pirate ship was much faster. It wouldn't be long before the pirates caught up.Earlier, the Captain mentioned the Marine's jurisdiction, but he didn't have much hope. It was true that the Marine's jurisdiction lay ahead.However, the likelihood of encountering a marine warship within that jurisdiction was not high, only slightly higher than in areas outside the jurisdiction.They would likely be caught by the pirate shipbefore encountering a marine warship. Moreover, this was a cruise ship with virtually no defensive capabilities. The entire ship had only three guns.The ship was crewed by service staff and sailors with practically no combat abilities. Now, they could only hope for good luck and encounter a marine warship earlier.Just as the Captain was worried, Marcus had already reported the situation to Commodore Ande."Is that so? Then how far are these pirates from us now?" Ande asked, stroking his chin in thought.Marcus thought for a moment and made a rough estimate. "About ten nautical miles, yes, that's the distance."Ten nautical miles. We are moving in opposite directions, so we should see them in about five minutes and encounter them in about ten minutes.In an instant, Ande calculated the approximate time.Marcus said, "Let's go then and see what the East Blue pirates are like.""Shouldn't we ask Vice Admiral Garp first?" Ande asked, a bit worried."No need," Marcus casually waved his hand. "That old man is sleeping. Even if we ask him, it won't help. I'll take responsibility if anything happens."Since Marcus had said that much, Ande couldn't say anything more. After all, Marcus was Disciple of Vice Admiral Garp."Northeast direction, full speed ahead. Let's show these pirates what the elite of Marineford are made of," Marcus shouted to all the Marines.Yes!The Marines shouted. Arriving in East Blue and encountering pirates right away—this was a gift from heaven.East Blue was the weakest sea, so the pirates here weren't very strong. They could be easily dealt with, and such an opportunity for merit was hard to come by.Boom, boom, boom...Several cannonballs fell from the sky, exploding near the cruise ship.The explosions generated shockwaves, creating small waves that rocked the steadily sailing cruise ship.To be honest, the accuracy of these pirates' cannon fire was terrible. Not a single cannonball landed within ten meters of the cruise ship.But even these seemingly harmless cannonballs caused significant damage.Ah ah ah...!!Hearing the sound of the cannon fire, the passengers on the ship screamed in fear, covering their heads and dodging to the side.Those who had been polite and considered themselves social elites now revealed their true nature in this moment of crisis.Sounds of pushing, pleading, and cursing filled the air. In their desperation to survive, they abandoned all pretenses of noble etiquette.Faced with the danger of death, these self-proclaimed social elites were worse than ordinary people."Everyone, be quiet! These are just ordinary cannon strikes. Be quiet!" the Captain shouted.But the terrified nobles couldn't hear the Captain's words, no matter how much he shouted.Looking at these nobles, the Captain showed a hint of disdain. Gritting his teeth, his face revealed a touch of determination.With these people in such chaos, there was no chance of escaping the pirates' pursuit. It was better to leave now; staying here would only lead to death at the hands of these people."Let's go, we'll leave first," the Captain said to his two old companions.This Captain had extensive sailing experience. If not for the high price paid by these nobles, he wouldn't have bothered. This cruise ship was one of the most dangerous on the sea.Just as the Captain was about to leave, he suddenly saw a mast appearing from the front, followed by a Marine flag coming into view.Finally, a massive marine warship fully appeared before the Captain.Although this warship looked different from the usual ones, it was much larger. But the Marine flag on it was unmistakable.At this critical moment, encountering a marine warship, the Captain was overjoyed. The thought of escaping vanished from his mind.It wasn't that he didn't want to, but who would want to drift aimlessly on a small boat in the vast, endless sea?"The Marine is here! The Marine is here! Everyone, calm down. The Marine is here, we are saved."
Chapter 72: Nobles!Bang, bang... The gunners on this pirate ship had truly pathetic aim; they fired dozens of rounds in a row, yet not a single cannonball managed to hit its mark.Although cannonballs continued to splash around the cruise ship, the entire vessel still sped toward the marine warship ahead, swaying amidst the waves.To stay alive, the crew members were pulling with all their might, rowing incessantly; otherwise, this massive cruise ship could never have reached such a high speed.Behind them, Captain Locke's face turned livid as he watched his subordinates fire for so long without hitting the slow-moving cruise ship even once."Enough, stop firing!" Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Captain Locke put an end to this useless behavior.If he didn't still need these people to deal with the Marines later, Locke would have truly wanted to kill these trashy subordinates right now."You trash, you can't even hit a cruise ship! Everyone stop and prepare for close-quarters combat.""Yes, sir!"Seeing the fury on the Captain's face, the pirates replied in terror, especially the gunners. They were extra cautious, fearing the Captain might kill them in a fit of rage.The distance between the cruise ship and the marine warship was only a few minutes' journey; by now, the two vessels were drawing close to each other.Clang, clang... Several grappling hooks flew out from the cruise ship, tightly latching onto the marine warship."Hurry up! All of you, move faster!"Though they were burning with rage, the crew members could only suppress their anger and pull the ropes with all their strength, as these people were all nobles.Watching the incoming ropes, the Marines present looked displeased; these people didn't even know the most basic rules.Thud!The two ships finally pulled together. Under the impact of the cruise ship, the entire warship shook violently. The Marines present were elites from Headquarters; though the impact was sudden, none of them fell.Marcus gave a light stomp, and under his ability, the two violently swaying ships came to a standstill.Realizing the cruise ship had suddenly stopped, a flicker of confusion appeared in everyone's eyes. But seeing the warship right before them, that confusion was instantly banished from their minds.The nobles scrambled toward the side of the warship, desperate to board as quickly as possible to ensure their safety.However, a marine warship was built for combat; its hull was much sturdier and taller than an average ship, making it not so easy to climb.How could these out-of-shape nobles possibly climb up? After struggling for a long time, the nobles remained stuck on the cruise ship, cursing incessantly."You people in front, get out of my way! I am... a Count of the Kingdom!" a lavishly dressed old man shouted from the back.A hand reached out from nowhere and pushed the old man aside, and a fat middle-aged man took his place."A Count is nothing! I'm a Duke! Everyone, move!"Meanwhile, the crew members stood at the back, watching these ugly-faced, foul-mouthed nobles with eyes full of contempt.At that moment, strange sounds echoed from the warship, and everyone quickly looked up.They saw the muzzles of the cannons slowly shifting, but to their horror, the cannons weren't aimed at the pirates behind them, but at them.Faced with this sudden turn of events, the people on the ship couldn't react in time, their faces filled with bewilderment."Could it be that this warship isn't a Marine vessel, but pirates in disguise?" the Captain thought in terror.On the sea, there were indeed many pirates who posed as Marines to deceive passing ships. Faced with the Marines, most Captains would let their guard down, only to be killed by these fake Marines.Tramp, tramp, tramp... The sound of orderly and loud footsteps echoed from the ship. Then, a row of Marines appeared above, their eyes fixed on the people on the cruise ship.Seeing that they were indeed Marines, the Captainlet out a sigh of relief, but his heart was still full of doubt."These people really are Marines. Why would they aim their cannons at us?"In fact, Commodore Andre had misinterpreted the situation. Seeing the cruise ship latch onto the warship with grappling hooks before even getting close,Commodore Andre had assumed the cruise ship was a pirate vessel in disguise, and that everything was an act to attack the Marines. Such incidents were not uncommon in the Marine's experience.Therefore, Andre had quickly ordered the Marine Soldiers to stop their rescue efforts, which led to the scene of the cannons shifting.Looking at the people on the cruise ship, Andreimmediately realized his mistake. These people were wearing expensive clothes worth hundreds of thousands of Berries; pirates couldn't possibly be this wealthy.Andre shouted, "Who are you people?"But what Andre received in return was not an answer, but angry curses."You stinking Marines, what are you doing?""Hurry up and rescue us! Can't you see there are pirates behind us?""We are nobles from various kingdoms! If we suffer even a scratch, it's more than you can answer for!"...Hearing these words, Andre's face instantly darkened. We came to save you, and you dare to speak in such a tone, even daring to curse? These people were supposed to be nobles.The guilt he had felt for mistaking them for pirates vanished in an instant.Seeing the actions of these nobles, the Captain was also incredibly incensed. If it weren't for his good self-control, he would have rushed forward and killed them long ago.We are currently begging the Marines for help. What right do you idiots have to be so arrogant? Noble? Your noble status is useless right now!"Bastards, a bunch of idiots," the Captain cursed incessantly in his heart.Andre took a deep breath and roared, "Quiet! Everyone, be quiet!"The nobles below were startled by Andre's roar, and the scene fell silent for a moment—but only for a moment.A man with golden curly hair and a noble air stepped forward and spoke haughtily to Commodore Andre.Unfortunately, the tatters and footprints on his clothes, along with the faint bloodstains on his face, made this noble aura look utterly ridiculous."You Marines, which East Blue branch are you from? We are nobles from various kingdoms. How dare you shout at us? Believe it or not, I'll go to your superior and report you!"This man was a Prince from a powerful kingdom in the East Blue, and his status was at the top among this group of nobles. Therefore, when he spoke, no one dared to interrupt.In Marcus's eyes, these people were like clowns performing an idiotic show on a stage.Andre's eyes were also filled with disdain. You low-level nobles think you can report us to our superiors?Seeing Andre remain silent, the man thought the Marines were intimidated, and his tone became even more arrogant."I'm telling you, hurry up and invite us aboard, then prepare hot water and fine food for us. If your service is good, we might consider not pursuing your transgressions.""Exactly!" the other nobles quickly chimed in.The crowding just now had been very painful for these nobles; their whole bodies were aching, and they needed to find a place to rest as soon as possible.Hahaha...!!The Marines on the warship couldn't help but burst into laughter at the man's words, their laughter filled with irony.Being mocked by these low-ranking Marines, the man felt he had lost face and said angrily, "Fine! Fine! You Marines are dead meat! I will definitely not forgive...""Annoying!" Before the man could finish, he was interrupted by Marcus.Seeing a Marine brat in his teens dare to insult him, the man grew even more furious and pointed at Marcus above."You brat, you dare to insult me? You're dead! You're dead! I won't let you get away with this!""What?"Hearing the man dare to threaten him, a trace of Killing Intent surfaced in Marcus's eyes. In his mind, this man was already dead.Marcus raised his right hand, and the man immediately floated into mid-air, following the movement of Marcus's hand.With a gentle flick of his right hand, the man flew backward like an arrow released from a bow.Boom!The man crashed directly into a cabin, letting out a loud bang. Wooden planks shattered, and as the smoke cleared, the man was buried under a pile of wood, his fate unknown.Everything happened in an instant; the nobles below hadn't even realized what had occurred."Prepare!"UU Reading. We welcome all book friends to come and read. The latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works are all at UU Reading! For mobile users, please go to read.
Chapter 73: The Face of the NobilityFacing the Marine Soldiers who had raised their guns, the nobles' faces were filled with terror.In the eyes of the nobles, Marcus was no longer just a kid, but a brutal demon. At the slightest disagreement, he was ready to kill everyone.All the Marines were waiting for Marcus's command. As soon as Marcus lowered his raised right hand, the Marines would not hesitate to pull their triggers and fire the bullets that had long been prepared.Seeing that these 'nobles' had finally quieted down, Marcus let out a cold snort."Marcus, that was a good move. You quieted them down in an instant," Andre praised in a low voice."These 'nobles' are just a bunch of spineless cowards who won't listen until they see a coffin. They won't stop when spoken to nicely; you have to kill one or two of them before they behave and stay quiet."Andre nodded. If he hadn't believed it before, after witnessing this scene, it was hard for Andre not to believe it now."Lower your weapons," Marcus ordered, lowering his hand.Seeing the Marines put away their guns, the nobles breathed a sigh of relief, but in their hearts, they were already cursing Marcus's ancestors back eight generations.Meanwhile, the crew members behind were cursing the ancestors of the nobles in front. The cruise ship captain's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.Do these damn nobles have any brains? They don't even know how to assess the situation. I really can't understand how trash like this can become nobles.The most important thing now is to survive. Why the hell are you arguing with the Marines? They have the strength to just walk away whenever they want. If we didn't have these Marines, we'd be finished.Turning around to see the pirate ship that was already very close, a look of worry appeared on the Captain's face, along with confusion.It's one thing for these nobles to be damn idiots, but haven't these Marines noticed the pirates getting closer? Why haven't they reacted at all?Suddenly, the Captain noticed the shoulders of the two Marines in front, and his face was filled with shock."Marines, I am a Count of the... Kingdom. The one you just sent flying was our kingdom's Prince. I think you Marines should give us an explanation, otherwise, when our King finds out..."The death of the Prince earlier had intimidated these people, making their tone much calmer, but that sense of superiority still remained.Hearing the Count's threat, Marcus couldn't help but sneer. It seemed these people still hadn't grasped the situation.Marcus shook his head and apologized with a face full of sincerity."Is that so? My apologies. I thought it was some stray dog; I didn't expect it to be a Prince. With a Prince like that, the King must be... sigh!"Hearing Marcus's words, the Count was so angry he almost spat out blood. Is that any way to talk? How is this an apology? He's clearly just insulting them!Although everyone present could hear Marcus's underlying meaning, no one dared to say anything. They didn't want to be killed for no reason like that Prince.Marcus changed the subject, saying, "Of course, we are Marines, and we will take responsibility. However, that depends on our superior's opinion."Hearing Marcus's words, a hint of joy appeared on the nobles' faces. They were just waiting for him to say that. Once they found his superior, this kid would be dead meat.Seeing the looks in the nobles' eyes, how could Marcus not know what they were thinking? He sneered inwardly."Then, might I ask which Marine branch you belong to?" a noble asked cautiously.Marineford!!"Where is Marineford? I've never heard of it.""I haven't heard of it either. Do you know where it is?""No, there shouldn't be such a place in the East Blue..." Some low-ranking nobles might not have heard of Marineford, but some nobles had, including the Count.The Count had not only heard of it but had even been there. Years ago, the Count had accompanied the King to the Reverie.So he had the honor of visiting.This meant that this group of Marines came from Marine Headquarters; they were elites of Marineford, directly under Marineford.At this thought, the Count couldn't help but tremble all over. It was only then that he noticed the Brigadier General rank on Andre's shoulders."As I thought," the Captain murmured upon hearing the name.The Captain had never been there, but he had heard the name from a Senior before, so he remembered it very clearly."Lord Count, what kind of place is Marineford? There shouldn't be such a place in the East Blue," a noble asked the Count.The Count said in a trembling voice, "Marineford is not in the East Blue. Marineford is Marine Headquarters. These Marines are from Marine Headquarters."Hiss... The sound of people gasping in cold air filled the air. Everyone was shocked by this revelation. These Marines actually came from Marine Headquarters—Marineford."So, these Marines are from the Grand Line, that 'Pirate Graveyard'?"It was unclear who said it, but although the voice was very soft, in this silent environment, everyone present heard it clearly.The shock on everyone's faces intensified, mixed with a bit of joy.Since these Marines came from the Grand Line, their combat power must be incredibly strong. How could the pursuing pirates be a match for them?At this point, none of the nobles were worried about the man over there anymore, not even the Count.Especially since there was a Brigadier General among them. These nobles knew that a Brigadier General from Marine Headquarters was of a much higher caliber than one from the East Blue.In the hearts of these nobles, any thoughts of retaliating against these Marines had long since vanished.These nobles did have some self-awareness, at least when facing someone more awesome than themselves. Forget about retaliating against these Marines; it was lucky enough that the Marines weren't retaliating against them.Now, what they were thinking about was how to build a good relationship with this Navy Rear Admiral—what he might like, and what kind of gifts they should send to pique his interest.That is the nobility: bullying the weak and fearing the strong. Even if you had just killed their entire family and they were full of hatred for you, as long as there was enough profit...In the blink of an eye, that hatred would vanish completely, replaced by'sincere' friendship.Marcus and the others above didn't know what these nobles were thinking, nor did they have any interest in knowing."Report, Brigadier General Lin Tian, that pirate shiphas entered our firing range. Do we have permission to fire?"Marcus waved his hand, rejecting the proposal. In Marcus's view, these pirates were so pathetic that they likely wouldn't even survive the first round of shelling.Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!Just because Marcus didn't fire didn't mean the pirates wouldn't. Seeing that the marine warshipahead had entered their firing range, Captain Lockeimmediately gave the order to fire."Fire! If you miss again this time, I'll definitely stuff you into the cannon barrels and fire you out!"Whether it was Locke's words that worked or not, the pirates' round of shelling exceeded expectations; out of five cannonballs, four actually hit their mark.Watching the cannonballs falling from the sky, the nobles were scared to death, but for the Marines, such shelling was not something they took seriously at all.Swish, swish!Andre quickly drew the longsword in his hand. Everyone could only see a flash of cold light as the four cannonballs were sliced in half, exploding in mid-air.And the longsword in Andre's hand had already been returned to its scabbard."Is this the strength of a Marine HeadquartersBrigadier General? I couldn't even see his sword, yet he cut four cannonballs in half. Just how powerful is he?"Watching this scene, everyone on the cruise ship was incredibly shocked. They had always heard about how powerful people in the Grand Line were, and today they finally witnessed it.This was only the combat power of a Brigadier General. How powerful must the Rear Admirals, Vice Admirals, or even the Admirals above him be?"Captain, let's retreat. This group of Marines is too strong," a pirate said, stuttering.Hearing his subordinate's words, Locke didn't do anything to him but instead hurriedly gave the order."Turn around, retreat!"Although Locke was greedy, he was no fool. These Marines were simply not people they could deal with. Staying here would only mean certain death.Space Rend!A black blade light flashed, and the three masts on the pirate ship fell straight down, crashing into the seawater.At this moment, only one sentence and regret remained in Locke's mind."This time, I'm dead for sure!"UU Reading. Welcome to read, the latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works are all at UU Reading! Mobile users, please go to read.
Chapter 74: Marine BaseBang!The Marine Soldiers, who had long been prepared, drew their longswords and charged onto the pirate ship along the thick ropes between the two vessels.On the pirate ship, in order to survive, the pirates also erupted with powerful Battle Intent, charging at the Marines without showing any weakness.But the huge gap between them could not be bridged by a fierce will alone.Clang, bang, parry...Countless sounds of weapons clashing and screams played out on the pirate ship.However, compared to the Marine Soldiers who roamed the Grand Line, these pirates, famous throughout the East Blue, were simply too trashy.As soon as they engaged, half of the pirates were dead or injured; the Marines charging in front could take down a pirate in just one or two moves.By the time the Marines behind rushed up, they discovered that these pirates had already been taken care of by their brothers in front, leaving nothing for them.Many of the Marines who rushed up from behind complained."These pirates are too weak; they were finished off so quickly. You guys are something else, you didn't even leave us any scraps.""Who said we didn't leave you any? Isn't that big boss in front left for you?" they said, pointing to Captain Locke in front.Originally, the Marines in front intended to leave no one behind, but they didn't expect the others to rush up so quickly, so they had to leave the final Captainfor them.Since they had already eaten the meat, they had to leave some soup for the people behind.Seeing these Marines ignoring him and treating him like cargo to be distributed, how could CaptainLocke not be furious?Captain Locke was a famous Great Piratethroughout the East Blue; when had he ever been ignored like this?"You're courting death! You Marines, come join me in the grave!"Captain Locke suddenly attacked, reaching for the nearest Marine Captain. Although the strength of East Blue pirates was far inferior to those on the Grand Line, it was still very easy for Captain Locke to grab a Marine Captain.Discovering Captain Locke reaching for him, this Marine Captain hurriedly retreated, but how could his speed compare to Captain Locke's? Just as the Marine Captain was about to be caught, two Navy Colonels suddenly appeared and quickly kicked Captain Locke in the chest, sending him flying."I was the one who kicked him first, this Captain is mine.""No way, it was clearly me who hit him first, this pirate is mine.""He's mine, he should belong to me."Just as these two Marines were arguing, another Navy Colonel suddenly flew out from the crowd and charged towards Captain Locke."Kori, you bastard, you actually attacked in secret, stop right there!"The two Navy Colonels hadn't held back; it took Locke a long time to crawl back up.Spotting the Marine charging at him, Locke didn't even think, instinctively raising the longsword in his hand to slash at the Navy Colonel.Soru!The Navy Colonel easily dodged Locke's attack, and when the Navy Colonel's figure appeared again, the longsword in his hand was already resting against Locke's neck."How is it possible? How can you have such fast spe..." Locke looked at this Marine sideways, unable to believe it.But before he could finish, the Navy Colonel slid the longsword, and Locke's head was instantly severed, falling to the ground with a thud.The two Navy Colonels who had originally rushed over stopped in their tracks when they saw Locke die, laughing and cursing."Kori, tell us, how are you going to compensate us this time? You have to at least treat us to a drink."Colonel Ande said: "Stop talking, hurry up and get on board. We still need to reach the Marine Base today."Watching the formidable Locke Pirate Crew in the East Blue be wiped out in an instant, everyone on the cruise ship couldn't believe it. This level of combat power was simply too strong."Could it be that all Marines on the Grand Line have this kind of combat power? No wonder the Grand Line is known as the Graveyard of Pirates."After dealing with this group of pirates, the entire warship continued to advance towards the designated Marine Base.As for those nobles on the cruise ship, Marcuscouldn't be bothered to spend time on them; Marcuswould rather have a big fight than see these nobles.The Pirate Crew just now was merely a fleeting passerby to everyone, and not many people cared about this issue.But just as Marcus and the others were leaving, on the destroyed pirate ship, a wooden barrel lid was lifted, and a thin, small figure crawled out from inside.Looking at the distant warship, a look of regret filled the figure's face.I'm afraid Marcus couldn't have imagined that there was actually someone who survived on this pirate ship, and even more unexpected to Marcus was that, in the future, he would form an inseparable bond with her.Step, bang!"Vice Admiral Garp!"Inside a Marine Base, the highest-ranking officer of this base was leading all the soldiers to welcome the arrival of Vice Admiral Garp from Marine Headquarters.Hmm!Garp nodded, then took Marcus and Commodore Ande and the others towards the Marine Base; the remaining Marine Soldiers still had to organize the items on the warship.The Navy Colonel who had fallen behind hurried to catch up, standing respectfully behind Garp, waiting for Garp's instructions.Facing a Marine Vice Admiral who had arrived from Marine Headquarters, the Colonel had to be careful; if he accidentally angered the person, his career would be over.This morning, they received an emergency message from Marine Headquarters saying that a Headquarters Vice Admiral would arrive in the East Blue. At the same time, the Vice Admiral would be stationed at their Marine Base for a period of time, and they were to cooperate well.A Headquarters Vice Admiral actually coming out of the Grand Line specifically to be stationed in the East Blue for a period of time—at that moment, the Colonel was stunned by this news.To be able to make a Vice Admiral come specifically to the East Blue, it was evident that something major must have happened in the East Blue, yet the Colonel didn't have even a shred of information about it.The Colonel finally thought about it and decided he should treat it with caution, so he summoned all the Marines from outside to welcome the arrival of this Marine Vice Admiral."Vice Admiral, may I ask if there is anything you need our cooperation with on this visit?" the Colonel asked cautiously from the side."No, we are planning to be stationed here for a month this time. We will be troubling you for this month," Garp smiled.Seeing this Vice Admiral speak so politely, the Colonel's heart settled down a lot. It seemed this Headquarters Vice Admiral was not a difficult person to get along with, and now he felt much more at ease."It's no trouble at all. It is our honor to have you stationed here, Vice Admiral," the Colonel flattered him slightly.Garp continued: "However, I will be leaving for a period of time during this month. But the remaining Marines will continue to stay here; they will help you solve some things you cannot solve."Although he felt puzzled about the Vice Admiralleaving, the person was a Marine Vice Admiral, and what he was going to do was not something the Colonel could guess at will.But the next sentence made the Colonel overjoyed. These were elites from Marine Headquarters, Marines who executed missions on the Grand Line; their combat power must be extremely strong.There were many powerful pirates in the East Bluewho were very rampant; some even dared to attack Marines, and many Marines had been killed by these pirates.Facing such pirates, the East Blue Marines had always wanted to solve the problem, but they lacked the strength to do so. Now with the help of these Headquarters elites, those pirates were not worth mentioning, and the maritime environment of the East Blue would be much better.Thinking of this, the Colonel said happily: "Thank you, Vice Admiral. With your help, the pirates of the entire East Blue are in for bad luck."Garp nodded, turned around, and said to Ande: "Commodore Ande, you must cooperate well with the Marines' work this month. Although it is a vacation, don't just sit around idle.""Yes! We will definitely cooperate fully!" Ande said with a grin: "Vice Admiral Garp, if you really let us rest for a month, I'm afraid we will all get rusty by then.""Is that so?" Vice Admiral Garp revealed a slight smile. "Since that's the case, then after a month, I will properly test you all."Hearing Garp's words, Ande's face immediately turned into a bitter melon. Ande had deep experience with Garp's 'tests'. Every 'test' was actually getting beaten up by Vice Admiral Garpand then lying in bed for a few days."I told you to talk too much, I told you to open your mouth. Isn't this just asking for trouble?" Ande was mentally slapping his own stinking mouth.Seeing this scene, Marcus laughed secretly from the side with a gloating expression on his face."You guys, every time I get beaten up, you're all on the side watching me and laughing. This time, it's finally my turn."Unfortunately, Marcus didn't know that after leaving this time, he wouldn't return to Marine Headquarters until a year later.PS: At the request of readers, there are three chapters today. Here is the first one!UU Reading: We welcome all readers to visit and read. The latest, fastest, and most popular serialized works are all at UU Reading! Mobile users please go to read.
Chapter 75: Garp's ThoughtsAt the Marine base dock, Garp was standing on a small boat, while Marcus was walking over, rubbing his bleary eyes."Stinky Kid, hurry up! You're not even as energetic as an old man like me despite waking up this early," Garp said angrily.In order to see that Stinky Kid Luffy sooner, Garphad called Andre to prepare a small boat early in the morning; if it weren't for waiting for Marcus, Garpwould have already left."Brigadier General Lin Tian!" Seeing Marcus's sleepy face, the Colonel dared not look down on him and spoke to him respectfully.Yesterday, to welcome these colleagues from Marine Headquarters, the entire Marine base held a grand banquet. Last night, all the Marines drank until they were dizzy, and most of them were still asleep.But "alcohol" is the fastest way for men to build friendships, and last night, the Colonel had become familiar with quite a few Marines from Headquarters.The price he paid was going to the restroom ten times in one hour last night; the Colonel's head was still spinning now.If it weren't for the fact that this morning was Vice Admiral Garp's departure time, and he was afraid of leaving a bad impression of dereliction of duty on Garp, the Colonel wouldn't have wanted to get up at all.Therefore, the Colonel had obtained quite a bit of news last night regarding Marine Headquarters and the Grand Line, and Marcus's identity was naturally among it.When the Colonel heard other Marines say that this brat who always followed by Vice Admiral Garp's side was actually a Marine Headquarters Brigadier General, he was truly stunned.After some questioning, the Colonel naturally learned that this brat was the most powerful Geniusin Marine history, whose name had been spread far and wide across the world over the past two years.No wonder he could become a Marine HeadquartersBrigadier General at the age of thirteen; after all, he was a Genius.Regarding the Colonel's form of address, Marcuswaved his hand and said."Just drop the 'Brigadier General' part. I still prefer people calling me Marcus; adding those two words to Marcus always feels weird.""Yes, Brigadier General Lin T—" Realizing his mistake, the Colonel quickly corrected himself: "Yes, Marcus."Hearing this form of address, Marcus nodded with a smile; this sounded much more pleasant, much better than "Brigadier General Lin Tian.""Stinky Old Man, you have the nerve to say that, sleeping so long every day. I only sleep a few hours a day, and I drank so much last night; it would be strange if I were sober."Yesterday, Marcus wasn't spared either; Robertsdragged him to the banquet, and as a result, he was forced to keep drinking and drinking.How much he drank last night, Marcus himself didn't remember; he didn't even remember how he got back to his room to sleep.Anyway, when he woke up this morning, he was already sleeping in his room."Stinky Kid, you have the nerve to say that? You're so young and already going out to drink. Have your wings grown stiff lately? Can you fly now?""Huh!" Marcus said puzzledly: "I remember you went to sleep last night, didn't you? How could you know I drank alcohol?"It would have been better if Marcus hadn't said anything; mentioning it made Garp even angrier. Yesterday, just as he wanted to sleep, these people started some banquet, preventing him from falling asleep for a long time.At that time, Garp was also extremely puzzled. Logically speaking, even if a cannonball exploded next to him, he could easily fall asleep.But yesterday, he didn't know what was going on; Garp tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep.Just as he stepped out, wanting to teach these bastards holding the banquet a lesson, he saw Roberts supporting a drunk, rambling Marcuswalking towards the room.But that Stinky Kid Roberts, the moment he saw him, acted as if he had seen a ghost; he immediately dropped Marcus on the spot, didn't say a word, and turned and ran away.Seeing that Marcus dared to drink alcohol, Garpimmediately wanted to beat this Stinky Kid up, but seeing Marcus's sleeping face, he lowered his raised fist."Sigh!" Garp let out a deep sigh, squatted down, picked up Marcus, and walked toward Marcus's room.Perhaps sensing Garp's movement, Marcus's eyes opened hazily, and seeing that it was actually the Stinky Old Man holding him, Marcus smiled foolishly."Stinky Old Man, why are you here? Did you come to drink too?"Garp was immediately bitter and amused; he was so young and dared to drink, and drank so much that his mouth reeked of alcohol.Whether in his past life or now, Marcus was not a person who drank. In his past life, as an orphan, just living was a problem, so where would he have the energy to drink?Although his mind was in his twenties now, his body was just a teenager, let alone drinking any alcohol.If he hadn't been tricked by Roberts this time, Marcus would never have drunk so much alcohol."Stinky Kid, what kind of drunk are you throwing now?"Although he was scolding him, Garp's movements were obviously much slower, fearing he might wake Marcus up.Don't look at how Garp always calls Marcus a Stinky Kid and often uses force to beat Marcus up until he can't get out of bed for days.In fact, Garp has always been very concerned about Marcus in his heart, and most of the time, everything he does is for Marcus's sake.Having gotten along with Marcus for three years, Garp also understood him very well.Undeniably, Marcus is a true Genius; in all these years, he had never seen a Genius comparable to Marcus.If he could stay in the Marines, it would certainly be a great fortune for the Marines, and Garp would use all his power to teach Marcus, pushing Marcus to Sengoku's current position to become the future Fleet Admiral.Garp believed that with Marcus's abilities, he would definitely be able to push the Marines to a brand-new height; not only did Garp think so, but even Sengoku, Tsuru, Kong, and others had this same thought.Ever since they learned that Garp had taken Marcusas a Disciple, those powerful Marine experts from the same era as Garp who had retired to the second line had been paying attention to Marcus.Do not think that just because these Marines have retired to the second line, they have no influence; back in the day, they were the ones who supported the entire Marine organization alongside Garp.In that era with countless powerful Great Pirates, such as Pirate King Roger, Whitebeard, Golden Lion Shiki... these people were able to maintain Marinejustice, so one can imagine how powerful their combat strength was.It was only because they were old, and due to some injuries caused by battles back then, or other reasons, that they had to retire to the second line to teach the Marines.Now, most of those Vice Admirals, Admirals, and Major Generals in the Marines are their students, so one can imagine how much influence they have.These people are the foundation of the Marines, and it is precisely because these people are sitting behind the scenes of the Marines that those legendary Great Pirates who are still alive dared not do anything out of line at will.Otherwise, how could just the five people on the surface—the three Marine Admirals, Sengoku, and Garp—suppress those Great Pirates throughout the Grand Line?Yet they all spoke highly of Marcus, saying that Garp, this old bastard, didn't know what kind of good luck he had to find such an excellent Disciple.If Garp's strength wasn't a bit high, these people would have wanted to kick Garp away and teach Marcus themselves.It can be said that if Marcus could stay in the Marines, Marcus becoming the future Fleet Admiralwould be a sure thing.Unfortunately, whether it was Garp or these people, they all knew that Marcus was not a person who would stay in the Marines forever.Marcus yearned for freedom; the Marines had too many rules and regulations, which simply didn't suit Marcus.Logically speaking, since Marcus was expected not to stay in the Marines, Garp didn't need to spend such significant effort to cultivate Marcus.If he taught Marcus to be a powerhouse, and when the time came for Marcus to quit the Marines, or even turn against the Marines, wouldn't that be strengthening their own enemy for the Marines?Because Garp had already regarded Marcus as his own grandson; otherwise, he wouldn't have brought Marcus to see Luffy this time. Garp's intention was very simple: he wanted these two people to build a friendship from a young age.Furthermore, relying on his understanding of Marcusover the past few years, Garp knew that Marcus was a person who valued loyalty very much; unless something major happened, Marcus would not easily betray the Marines.With the help of the Marines, Marcus was able to become a powerhouse so quickly, and the days in the Marines would all become Marcus's bonds.Marcus would definitely remember this favor; even if Marcus left the Marines, Marcus would not turn against the Marines.Even in the future, at some point, the Marines might still need Marcus's help.A Prodigy's talent and a strong will—these two things required to become a powerhouse were already possessed by Marcus. Now, all Marcuslacked was time; as long as he was given enough time, Marcus would definitely become a powerhouse at the top of this world."Stinky Old Man, although I always call you Stinky Old Man, in my heart, you have always been my only family in this world."Hearing Marcus's words, Garp's face revealed a hint of a smile; it was still too early for all that, and cherishing the present was what was important."Stinky Old Man, Stinky Old Man...!"
Chapter 76: The tenryuubito tribute Incident"Stinky Old Man, hurry up and tell me."On the calm sea, a faint, cool sea breeze blew gently, and the sunlight with just the right temperature sprinkled on the sea surface.If one were to drive a small boat out at this time, lie on a rattan chair, it would be so comfortable; however, our Marcus had no time to enjoy it right now.On the small boat, Marcus and Garp were staring at each other with big eyes, their gazes colliding as if sparks were flying."Stinky Kid, is that how you talk to your teacher? Besides, what do you want me to say? I don't know anything," Garp said angrily."Is that so?" Marcus clearly didn't believe Garp's answer. "Hurry up and tell me, did I say anything after I got drunk yesterday?"Knowing that Garp had taken him to his room after he got drunk, Marcus had been feeling uneasy.Marcus knew that people who are drunk like to babble and say things they shouldn't; "truth comes out after drinking" is not without reason.That was why Marcus was so worried; he was afraid that after getting drunk, he might accidentally reveal his biggest secret.That was that he was not a person of this world, but came from another world.This was also why Marcus kept asking Garp if he had said anything strange after getting drunk."Oh, it's about that. Let me think, it seems like there was, but it also seems like there wasn't," he said, lifting his head, resting his chin on his hand, and speaking vaguely on purpose.Hearing Garp's words, Marcus's heart jumped to his throat, especially when he heard the word "was"; he felt like his heart was about to jump out.Finally, the words "there wasn't" made Marcus's heart suddenly return to his chest.This feeling was like flying to ten thousand meters high all of a sudden, but before you could see clearly where you were, you instantly fell from ten thousand meters into an abyss.If it weren't for Marcus's strong heart, he would have been scared into having a heart attack.Looking up and seeing the faint smile on Garp's face, Marcus immediately understood that Garp was intentionally teasing him.But after Marcus realized this, he didn't get angry; instead, he let out a sigh of relief.Judging from this situation, he might have said something, but he hadn't revealed the secret of his Rebirth.Seeing that Marcus didn't make any move, but instead let out a big sigh of relief, Garp felt puzzled.According to Marcus's usual way of doing things, even though he knew he wasn't his opponent, Marcus would still attack, and then he would give him a good beating.Why didn't he do anything today?The scene went quiet like this, the two just sat there, neither spoke, yet both were thinking about other things in their hearts.This time Garp taking him to see Luffy was something Marcus had never thought of.Marcus had always thought that his first meeting with Luffy would very likely be in battle, with him as a Marine capturing Luffy as a pirate; what a normal and natural scene that would be.But now going to see Luffy made Marcus curious; one must know that the manga only explained Luffyafter he was seventeen.Just then, Garp thought for a long time, as if he had made up his mind, and asked."Marcus, tell me honestly, was this tenryuubito tribute incident done by you?"Hearing Garp's question, Marcus was shocked.Marcus certainly didn't want to admit it, but seeing Garp's serious expression, Marcus realized that Garpmust have discovered something, otherwise he wouldn't have asked."Yeah!" Marcus nodded. "That's right, I did it."Although Garp had already guessed this answer, when Garp actually heard the reply, Garp was still incomparably angry."You Stinky Kid, do you know how dangerous this matter is?""I know," Marcus replied with certainty.When Marcus thought about doing that thing, Marcus had already thought about how dangerous it was; one careless step could lead to total destruction.Garp pointed at Marcus and said with disappointment: "You... you actually knew, and yet you still did it? Aren't you looking for death?"Garp valued Marcus very much; he only had one Disciple, Marcus, but this matter really made Garpvery angry.This matter was a giant whirlpool of unknown depth; one careless move and you would be crushed. Any slightly rational person would stay far away.He himself knew that the water here was too deep, so he hadn't accepted Sengoku's order before; mainly, he just felt it was too troublesome.But what Garp didn't expect was that this Stinky Kid, Marcus, actually took the initiative to get involved, which made Garp furious."But, aren't I perfectly fine right now? No one will think this has anything to do with me," Marcussmiled slightly.Marcus knew that Garp was so angry mainly because Garp cared about him very much. So, Marcus wasn't angry at Garp's scolding; instead, he felt very warm.In his past life, he was an orphan, and no one cared whether he lived or died. In this world, Marcus truly felt the warmth of family."This..." Garp was instantly rendered speechless by Marcus's words.Garp couldn't win with words, so he could use his fists!A fist full of love hit Marcus on the head, "Stinky Kid, you dare to talk back?""Stinky Old Man, every time you can't win an argument, you use your fists," Marcus muttered unhappily."Stinky Kid, do you know how much trouble you've caused this time, and do you know how many people you've offended?"Marcus understood Garp's words perfectly; in fact, Marcus knew even better than Garp.The harvest from this tenryuubito tribute incident could be said to be unimaginable. Those were treasures from the whole world offered to the Celestial Dragons; every single one was a boutique, and many treasures were priceless.The harvest was directly proportional to the risk; Marcus gained so much, so of course, he paid even more.It could be said that after this incident, Marcus had offended the Celestial Dragons, many powerful pirates in the Grand Line, various allied countries in the world, and even one Marine Admiral.But fortunately, Marcus's plan was thorough this time, and he didn't leak his identity.So the whole world knew that there was a mastermind behind the tenryuubito tribute incident, but no one knew their detailed identity."I know. Before I decided, I had already thought of this consequence," Marcus said very calmly."Sigh!" Garp sighed, looking helpless."Even if you are quite confident, you have to see if it's worth it. Just for those yellow things, is it worth offending so many people and putting yourself in danger?"Based on Garp's understanding of Marcus, of course, he knew that Marcus was not the kind of person who acts on impulse. He must have thought everything through, and had a high chance of success, before Marcus would take action.Marcus pondered for a moment and said with a tone full of certainty: "It's worth it, but not for those yellow things.""Stinky Kid, if it's not for those things, then what is it for?"After hearing Marcus's words, Garp showed a look of confusion. Garp had seen the general list of the tenryuubito tribute with his own eyes.Most of it was gold, silver, and jewelry, some local specialties of various countries, and some strange things whose uses were unknown.The most precious things in this tenryuubito tributewere those few Devil Fruits.Although Devil Fruits are precious, they shouldn't be worth Marcus paying such a high price.Marcus gave a cheeky smile, scratched his head, and said embarrassedly."Actually, I just wanted to witness such a big event, but then I got mixed up in it, and in the end, I don't know how it happened, but I just took action."Hearing this, Garp almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.He thought Marcus had discovered something very important in this incident, which made Marcuswilling to take such a big risk.But he didn't expect this Stinky Kid to do it so vaguely, without even knowing it himself; Garpreally didn't know what to say.Actually, Marcus wasn't wrong. Marcus originally had nothing to do with this matter; he was just curious, then he encountered a series of things, and in the end, he was inexplicably involved.If one really had to say the reason, it was actually because Marcus became interested in this matter after learning the identity of the mastermind behind the tenryuubito tribute incident; otherwise, Marcuswouldn't have bothered to care, he would have been happy to see the Celestial Dragons get robbed.Although that was the case, Marcus didn't regret it.How did all this happen? Please look at the details of the tenryuubito tribute incident below!PS: The third update has been presented.UU Reading welcomes all readers to visit and read. The latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works are all on UU Reading! Mobile users please go to read.
Chapter 77: The Green Hat Pirate FlagMarine Calendar year 1512, which was also the second year since Marcus set sail.Today was another beautiful, sunny day. Usually, Marcus would be like most Marines, standing on the deck enjoying this wonderful weather.But today was destined to be a busy one.Bang, bang, bang...On the sea, a Marine warship and a pirate ship were exchanging fire.Cannonballs constantly flew through the air, creating extremely sharp whistling sounds as they rubbed against the air, heading toward each other.This warship fighting the pirates was, of course, the one Marcus and his group were on.At this moment, all the Marines on the warship had gathered on the deck, looking at the pirate shipahead with excitement.Although every battle was full of life-threatening danger, since they had become Marines, everyone had already accepted this fact.Besides, battle not only brought danger but also opportunities; only through constant fighting could they quickly improve their strength and accumulate military merit.If you looked closely, you could see that many Marines had tattered clothes stained with blood. Some Marines even had wounds on their bodies, clearly showing they had just experienced a major battle.Andre handed the binoculars to Marcus, who was by his side, and said in confusion."What is going on? How have we encountered two Pirate Crews in just one morning?"Usually, it was hard to encounter even one pirate ship in half a month, but encountering so many today gave Commodore Ande a bad premonition.Marcus took the binoculars and said while looking through them: "Indeed, today is somewhat unusual; the probability of pirates appearing in this sea area is too high."This pirate ship was a three-masted sailing ship, as most pirate ships were, and it was flying a skull pirate flag wearing a green hat.Seeing this strange pirate flag, Marcus couldn't help but burst into laughter.Hahaha..."A green hat, this pirate ship is really something," Marcus thought, unable to stop laughing as he recalled the special meaning of a "green hat" from his past life.Beside him, Commodore Ande was startled by Marcus's sudden laughter. Looking at the laughing Marcus, Commodore Ande was full of question marks.He took the binoculars and observed it himself, only to find that it was just an ordinary pirate ship with nothing strange about it."Marcus, what are you laughing at?"Facing Commodore Ande's question, Marcus finally stopped laughing, but the smile on his face did not disappear."Take a look at their pirate flag, specifically the hat on it.""The hat?" Commodore Ande muttered in confusion. He picked up the binoculars and looked carefully.He discovered it was just an ordinary skull pirate flag, but the hat was a bit strange—it was actually 'green'.Although this color looked very strange, it was still within Commodore Ande's range of acceptance, and he didn't find it particularly funny."There's nothing abnormal about it; this kind of pirate flag is very common," Commodore Ande said as he put down the binoculars.At this moment, Marcus suddenly realized that this world did not have the special meaning for the phrase 'green hat'.Marcus gestured for Commodore Ande to come closer.Commodore Ande thought suspiciously for a moment, but still moved a few steps closer to Marcus and leaned in to listen."A green hat, as the name implies, is a green hat. But it also has an implied meaning: if a man's woman is having an affair or is intimate with another man, then that man is said to be wearing a green hat."Hahaha...After hearing Marcus's explanation, Commodore Ande immediately understood everything and also burst into laughter.The pirate flag of this pirate ship was wearing a green hat, which meant they were the Green Hat Pirate Crew."Marcus, where did you hear this from? How come I didn't know it had this meaning?"Marcus smiled slightly and said: "I accidentally saw it in an ancient book; it seems to have been passed down from an ancient country."This was something passed down from his past life; besides Marcus, no one else in the entire world knew this meaning.However, after today, the term "green hat" might just spread throughout the world.Marcus and Commodore Ande's laughter was too loud; all the soldiers heard it, and everyone looked at them, laughing at the bow of the ship, in confusion."What's wrong with Commodore Ande and Colonel Lin Tian?""Yeah! Why did they suddenly start laughing?"Realizing that the cannon fire had suddenly stopped, Marcus looked down and found the Marine Soldiers below staring at him and Commodore Ande in astonishment.Marcus immediately reacted, realizing that the two of them had been laughing a bit too ostentatiously. He quickly stopped smiling and looked down at the Marines with a serious expression.Marcus quickly kicked Commodore Ande, who was still laughing. Commodore Ande looked at the Marines below, feeling extremely embarrassed."Ahem..." Commodore Ande coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment.He said loudly: "What are you all looking at? Hurry up and catch the pirates ahead!""Yes!"Under Commodore Ande's command, all the Marines immediately snapped to attention and replied.Because the Marines had been startled by Marcusand Commodore Ande, they hadn't fired a single shot. However, the pirates hadn't stopped their cannon fire.Several cannonballs flew toward the warship, emitting sharp whistling sounds.Swish, swish, swish...Several dark spheres instantly formed in Marcus's hands, and he flicked his fingers repeatedly. These dark spheres hit the cannonballs accurately at an extremely fast speed.Bang, bang, bang..."Load! Ready!""Bang!"Everyone turned to look, but before they could see what happened, a door suddenly flew in from behind, crashing toward Marcus and Commodore Ande at the stern of the ship.With a simple side kick, Marcus easily shattered the door that had flown in from who knows where."Prepare one thousand cannonballs for me!"Garp walked out from the shattered door, threw his clothes to a Marine, and ordered loudly.Looking at the angry Garp, Marcus and Commodore Ande exchanged glances, seeing confusion in each other's eyes.Just now, Garp had been hiding in the cabin to break his previous record for eating donuts. He was only one away from breaking his previous record of 243.But at this critical moment, the den den mushisuddenly rang, startling Garp. His hand shook, and the donut in his hand fell to the floor.Garp was furious; he had been eating without sleep for two days, only to fail like this in the end.Furious, Garp grabbed the den den mushi, ready to curse, but a voice from the other side came through first."Hello, Garp, what are you doing? Why did it take so long to answer the phone?"Hearing this familiar voice, Garp frowned slightly. "Hello, Sengoku, why are you suddenly looking for me?""This time, I mainly have something for you to do. Isn't it the handover date for the tenryuubito tribute? We Marines are responsible for escorting it, and this time I want..."Before Sengoku could finish, Garp interrupted him."Don't say it. Sengoku, you should know that I won't do this kind of thing. Find someone else."On the other side, Sengoku fell silent after hearing Garp's words, and only spoke after a long while."I originally didn't want to come to you, but today we received intelligence that many powerful pirates are going to rob the tenryuubito tribute.""Rob?" Garp said in a low voice. "Doesn't every tenryuubito tribute have an Admiral guarding it? Which pirate would dare to target them?"Sengoku on the other end of the den den mushigave a wry smile. "It's precisely because we don't have the manpower that I need you to step in; otherwise, why would I ask you to do this kind of thing?"Garp fell silent. He could understand Sengoku's plight, but Garp really didn't want to get involved in such things; it was too much trouble, and he'd rather just sit here and eat donuts.Suddenly, a figure flashed through Garp's mind. Based on this person's combat power, he was enough to take on this task."I think it should be like this: let Kuzan go this time. His combat power has already reached the Admirallevel. He failed his promotion last time only because of insufficient seniority; this mission to escort the tenryuubito tribute is just right for him.""Vice Admiral Kuzan?"Sengoku was silent for a long time, thinking carefully. Having reached Sengoku's position, every command would bring different effects.Especially since Kuzan was now on the edge between Vice Admiral and Admiral, orders concerning him were even more cautious."Fine, I'll have Kuzan go this time. In these two years, his seniority is enough; it's time for him to move up."After hanging up the den den mushi, Garp looked at the donut on the floor, wondering what he was thinking, and then walked outside.That was the reason for the scene where Garp came out later.Looking at the cannonballs covering the deck, sounds of people swallowing hard came from all around. If these cannonballs were thrown out, let alone one pirate ship, even ten would be instantly destroyed."Fist: Meteor Shower!"UU Reading welcomes readers to visit and read. The latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works are all on UU Reading! Mobile users please go to read.
Chapter 78: Garp's ConcealmentCannonballs! Cannonballs! Countless cannonballs!The entire sky was filled with cannonballs. Those small, pitch-black spheres seemed plain on the surface, but each one possessed immense destructive power.Watching the cannonballs flying all over the sky, Marcus shook his head helplessly and thought to himself, "What is this Stinky Old Man going crazy about today?""Didn't he just say he was breaking a record and didn't want anyone to disturb him? Why has he suddenly become so furious?"Marcus had seen Garp's move, Fist Meteor Shower, many times. To put it simply, it could be said to be an invincible move on the open sea.Unless one possessed large-scale attack or defensive capabilities like he did, it would be impossible for one person to intercept dozens of cannonballs coming from different directions at the same time.It's not something one person can do, unless it's those powerful Pirate Crews that have many experts on board who can protect the entire ship.On the high seas, if you lose your ship, no matter how powerful your Devil Fruit is, you'll end up regretting it.Of course, people like Kuzan, Donquixote Doflamingo, and others are just the minority. Besides, for people like that, a simple Fist Meteor Shower wouldn't cause much damage.Therefore, Marcus rarely saw Garp throw out hundreds of cannonballs at once. Usually, a few dozen would be enough to finish off the opponent, and yet, he still hadn't stopped.For this, Marcus could only offer a second of silence for those pirates ahead.Boom... Boom...It was hard to imagine what it looked like when over a hundred cannonballs exploded on a pirate ship.It wasn't just hard to imagine; you couldn't even see it. The entire pirate ship had already been surrounded by the smoke and flames generated by the explosions, making it impossible to see what was happening inside.There was only a huge cloud of smoke drifting on the sea surface.However, looking at the situation, everyone could predict what the pirate ship inside would become.Garp was just about to throw another hundred or so cannonballs, but seeing this situation, he knew it was useless to keep throwing them.He ordered, "Withdraw these cannonballs and advance toward that pirate ship.""Yes!""Stinky Old Man, what did you do? Did that record attempt fail?" Marcus walked over and said with a grin.It would have been fine if Marcus hadn't mentioned it, but bringing it up just made him angrier. He had been eating for two days, only for it to be ruined by a single den den mushi call from that bastard Sengoku."Stinky Kid, are you itching for a beating?" Garpraised his fist, looking at Marcus with a smile on his face.Seeing Garp's movement, Marcus quickly stopped in his tracks and stared at Garp vigilantly.After a while, seeing that Garp didn't take action, Marcus quickly breathed a sigh of relief. Marcus was truly afraid that Garp might punch him.Garp spoke up and asked Andre, who was also walking over, "Andre, where is our route taking us this time?"Andre immediately replied, "Vice Admiral Garp, we are heading to Korode Naval Base. In this entire sea area, the closest one to us is the Korode Naval Base."Hearing Andre's words, Garp's expression changed slightly, but it vanished from his face in the blink of an eye.This time, the tenryuubito tribute was departing from the Korode Naval Base, then heading to the Holy Land Mary Geoise to be presented to the Celestial Dragons.This was also why they had encountered two pirate ships within a single day. These pirates must have been going for that tenryuubito tribute.During his call with Sengoku just now, Garp didn't want to get involved in the tenryuubito tributematter, but to Garp's surprise, he had already set out on the route to Korode."Is it possible for us not to go to the Korode Naval Base and head to another naval base instead?" Garpsaid with a grave expression.Although Andre didn't quite understand Vice Admiral Garp's words, seeing Garp's expression, he guessed that something bad might happen.In his mind, Andre recalled the distribution map of the surrounding naval bases and shook his head."There isn't one. The closest one to us in this vicinity is only the Korode Naval Base. If we go to the next one, our ship's supplies simply won't last.""Stinky Old Man, is something happening at Korode?"Marcus had noticed the change in Garp's expression earlier, and combined with what Garp had said, Marcus asked curiously."No, it's just that the naval base is currently carrying out a mission," Garp explained calmly.Garp knew that Marcus loved excitement the most. If he knew about the tenryuubito tribute matter, this Stinky Kid would definitely not let it go. Given Marcus's strength, he wasn't qualified to get involved in this matter yet.Before Marcus could say anything else, Garp said to Andre, "Since that's the case, let's maintain this route."Garp didn't want to get involved in this matter simply because it was too troublesome, but that didn't mean Garp was afraid.Watching Garp's departing back, Marcus fell into deep thought. Garp must be hiding something, but he didn't know why Garp hadn't said it.Andre was thinking much the same as Marcus, and Andre was about to speak to discuss it with Marcus.At this moment, a Marine Soldier ran over, "Brigadier General Lin Tian, Commodore Andre, we have found a living pirate."Marcus and Andre heard this news, and a flash of surprise crossed their eyes. To have survived that kind of explosion, it seemed this pirate was not simple."Let's go, let's take a look."Led by the Marine Soldier, Marcus and Andre came to the side of the Marine warship and looked out at the sea.They saw countless broken wooden planks floating on the sea surface, many corpses, and some other things. Under the power of the explosion of hundreds of cannonballs, the entire pirate ship had truly been smashed to pieces; they couldn't even find a larger piece of wooden plank.And on a slightly larger wooden plank, a person was lying there, motionless. But from the rising and falling chest, it could be proven that this person was still alive.Two Marine Soldiers had already swum over, preparing to bring that pirate over.Bang!Perhaps stimulated by the pain, the pirate slowly woke up.But as soon as he opened his eyes, he was surrounded by Marines. Seeing the Marine symbol on the sails, the pirate knew that he was now on a Marine warship.Looking at the Marines all around, countless ways to escape flashed through the pirate's mind instantly, but it was simply impossible to escape under the noses of so many Marines.Not to mention that he was seriously injured and didn't even have one-third of his combat power at his peak.The surrounding Marines suddenly cleared a path, and two Navy Rear Admirals walked out. But when the pirate saw these two Navy Rear Admirals clearly, his face was full of surprise.One of them was clearly just a teenager; how could he possibly be a Navy Rear Admiral?Before the pirate could be surprised, Marcus, who had walked over, asked directly."Speak, what's your name, what's your Pirate Crewcalled, and what position do you hold in the Pirate Crew?""Hahaha..."Seeing this kid ask him, the pirate suddenly laughed, and his eyes were full of disdain as he looked at Marcus."Kid, just based on that you dare to ask this Captain's name? You're not qualified yet. Call someone who can actually make decisions."Marcus snorted coldly. This pirate was truly arrogant; with death approaching, he still dared to be so rampant. He clearly didn't know how to write the word 'death'.Marcus casually took a rifle from a Marine nearby. Pulling the bolt and aiming, this series of movements was incredibly fast, without a hint of hesitation.Seeing that pitch-black muzzle pointed at his brow, the pirate panicked instantly; where was his previous arrogance?He asked tremblingly, "What are you doing? Don't you Marines have rules? You can't kill prisoners!"Hearing the pirate's words, the Marines present couldn't help but sneer. The entire Marine force knew that Brigadier General Lin Tian was someone who didn't follow rules.He could even let captured pirates go, not to mention killing a captured pirate like him."Don't worry, I won't kill prisoners," Marcus said with a look of disdain, thinking to himself, "Killing a pirate like you would just dirty my hands."The pirate quickly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed these Marines still followed Marineregulations; now he didn't need to be afraid.Bang!But just at this moment, a gunshot rang out.An ear fell to the deck. The pirate quickly covered his severed ear, letting out screams.Fresh blood kept flowing, dripping down from between his fingers onto the deck, forming flowers of blood that were quite vivid."If you scream again, I don't mind shooting off your other ear," Marcus said, holding the gun and smiling slightly at the pirate.The pirate quickly closed his mouth, his eyes full of fear as he looked at Marcus. At this moment, in the pirate's eyes, Marcus was a devil; without a word, he had shot off his ear. If this wasn't a devil, what was?"Why have there suddenly been so many pirates on this route to Korode?"
Chapter 79: Swarming PiratesAlthough the pirate couldn't understand why this young Navy Rear Admiral was asking this question.But to ensure his other ear wouldn't be shot off by a bullet again, he didn't care about anything else and spilled everything he knew."Actually, I can't really say the specific reason. At first, I just followed the other pirates here."Hearing the pirate's words, Marcus immediately thought the pirate was playing him. If you don't know the reason, why did you pirates all run here?Did you all group up to visit the Marine base in Korode!Seeing Marcus put his finger on the bolt of his gun, the pirate hurriedly said: "Don't, wait, I haven't finished yet.""At first, we really didn't know the specific reason. It was just rumored that there was a huge treasure on Korode Island, so we followed.""Two days ago, after some asking around, we finally understood. It turns out someone spread the news that this year's tenryuubito tribute is in Korode.""tenryuubito tribute?" Marcus turned his head and asked Andre: "What is a tenryuubito tribute? How come I've never heard of it?"Andre, who was stunned by the pirates' objective, snapped back to reality after hearing Marcus's question and explained."The tenryuubito tribute actually refers to the wealth that the World Government's allied nations pay as tribute to the Celestial Dragons every year, and 'tenryuubito tribute' is just a secret nickname for it."Under Andre's explanation, Marcus suddenly realized. No wonder he couldn't recall what 'tenryuubito tribute' was; it was just a nickname.Andre continued: "But this 'tenryuubito tribute' is something paid to the Celestial Dragons. Who in this world would dare touch it? Besides, the protection for the 'tenryuubito tribute' is extremely strict."Andre had participated in operations to protect the tenryuubito tribute, so he was very clear about the security measures.At least one Admiral, two Marine Vice Admirals, and thousands of Marine Soldiers, totaling over a dozen marine warships.Under such powerful protection, the tenryuubito tribute had existed for hundreds of years, yet it had never been successfully robbed.How could these pirates possibly succeed? If it were those powerful pirates in the New World, they might have a chance.Marcus also knew about the security for the 'tenryuubito tribute', and precisely because of that, he was also confused.Seeing Marcus and Andre's confusion, the pirate explained at the right moment."The reason so many pirates are going this time is because someone spread the news. Recently, Kaido of the Beasts, one of the Four Emperors in the New World, has made new moves, so several Admirals have gone to the New World. That's why no Admiral is coming this time."Marcus finally understood. It turned out that because there was no Admiral escorting it this time, these pirates dared to take the risk.The 'tenryuubito tribute' is the treasure contributed by over 170 allied nations; one can imagine how valuable it is.If these pirates can get even a little bit, they've made a profit.Since the information had been obtained, the pirate was useless, so he waved his hand to have the pirate taken away.Earlier, Marcus had intended to kill this pirate, but since the guy was so cooperative, and Marcuswasn't a murderous person, he would just let him contribute to decorating this world.After the surrounding Marine Soldiers retreated, Andre said with a heavy face."This time, who knows how many pirates have gathered around Korode. It's not a good time for us to go to Korode now.""Hmm!" Marcus nodded. He understood Andre's concern.Korode now attracts the eyes of the whole world; countless people are staring at the 'tenryuubito tribute', especially with such a rare opportunity where no Admiral is present.As for whether robbing the 'tenryuubito tribute' would offend the Celestial Dragons, no one cares about that threat.The people robbing it are either pirates or criminals, already wanted by the World Government, so offending them or not makes no difference.At most, their bounties would increase significantly, which might even be what many of them hope for.And the Stinky Old Man's strange behavior earlier was probably because he had received news about this, which is why he demanded a change of route.Even the Stinky Old Man didn't want to go, which shows what kind of whirlpool Korode is currently in."Sigh, with so many pirates this time, I'm afraid the escorting Marines will suffer huge casualties." Thinking about how countless pirates have gathered in Korode, Andre worried for those Marine Soldiers.Marcus chuckled, and under Andre's puzzled gaze, explained: "Andre, you're overthinking it. Facing so many pirates, how could the Marines not take any action?"Marcus didn't believe that with such a large pirate movement, Marine Headquarters wouldn't have any information at all."The Admirals have all run off to the New World. Where would Marine Headquarters get so much combat power to suppress so many pirates?"Although Andre believed Marcus's words, the highest combat power of the Marines was tied up in the New World, so how could they spare any manpower?Marcus said meaningfully: "That's not necessarily true. There is still combat power within the Marines that rivals the Admirals."Andre waved his hand, looking disbelieving."How is that possible? Fleet Admiral Sengoku has to sit at Marine Headquarters, where..." Andresuddenly thought of something and exclaimed: "Right, there is also Vice Admiral Garp. Vice Admiral Garp's combat power is no less than an Admiral's."Hearing Andre's words, Marcus shook his head.From the Stinky Old Man's earlier words, one could infer that he didn't want to get involved in this matter; otherwise, he wouldn't have said they shouldn't go to Korode.Marcus knew that Marine Headquarters had hidden quite a bit of combat power.Those Marine experts who retired to the second line back in the day were still alive. Although their combat power had declined somewhat due to age, it wasn't much worse.The Marine foundation is extremely strong, with the whole world as its backing, providing countless resources to the Marines.Except for Fleet Admiral Sengoku, probably no one knows how much power the Marines have hidden in the shadows.Here, one can see the difference between having backing and not having backing.As Navy Rear Admirals, Andre knew very little about the true power of the Marines. But Marcus, having Garp as his teacher, knew much more about the high-level secrets of the Marines."Besides Marine Hero Garp, is there anyone else in the Marines with power rivaling an Admiral?" Andreasked, confused.Marcus said very affirmatively: "Yes, but I'm not sure who it is."After hearing Marcus's words, Andre fell into silence. Andre also knew that Marcus understood more of the Marines' top-secret information than he did."Countless pirates are gathering in Korode; such a major event is truly exciting," Marcus said with a look of anticipation.Looking at the anticipation on Marcus's face, Andrehad a bad premonition and asked uncertainly."Hey, Marcus, don't tell me you want to get involved in this."Marcus nodded and asked in return: "Why not? Andre, don't you think it would be a pity to miss such an exciting event?"If Andre was only uncertain before, now he was sure, and he hurriedly tried to persuade him."Hey, Marcus, I won't stop you from other things, but this is not something you can get involved in. This matter involves too many powerful people. Although your strength has improved a lot, your strength is still not enough to get involved in this."Marcus waved his hand, "Don't worry, I won't get involved. Besides, the timing doesn't match up. The tenryuubito tribute departs in a few days, and we might leave Korode before then."Although Andre was forcing himself to believe it, seeing the anticipation that hadn't disappeared from Marcus's eyes, Andre still didn't believe Marcus's words.Actually, just as Andre expected, Marcus wouldn't miss such an exciting event.The 'tenryuubito tribute' attracted most of the pirates to Korode, so the Marines would definitely take action. This incident is a crisis for the Marines, but isn't it also an opportunity?The reason why pirates are hard to catch is that the sea is too big, it's hard to determine their location, and they are too widely distributed.Otherwise, with the strength of the Marines, no pirate could confront the entire Marine force head-on, not even the Four Emperors.(Note: Marine combat power - Sengoku, Garp, and Kong who rival the Four Emperors, the current three Admirals and the retired old three Admirals, such as Zephyr..., as well as those Marine Vice Admirals with not weak combat power, the Science Unit...)Now that these pirates have actually gathered together, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, known as the great tactician, will not let this good opportunity pass.If it goes on like this, it will definitely evolve into an earth-shattering battle. Although not many Peakexperts will join, it will still be a rare sight, and Marcus doesn't want to miss it.Looking down from high above, one could see.With Korode as the center, many pirate ships were swarming in, and at the same time, many marine warships were also sailing towards Korode.A huge storm was brewing!UU Reading welcomes all readers to visit and read; the latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works are all on UU Reading! Mobile users please go to read.